


How can I blackout you?

by pinkfingernails



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Hosie, Legacies, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:01:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26988682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkfingernails/pseuds/pinkfingernails
Summary: Hope has returned to the Salvatore school and she and Josie are forced to work together on the decade dance.FINISHED!!
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 44
Kudos: 196





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first time writing so please be kind skfjdj these two make me so emotional

"Elizabeth, I already told you," Dr. Saltzman says. Lizzie, Josie, and Hope stand in the twins' father's office, Hope and Lizzie still attempting to keep Hope's return a secret from the student body.  
Dr. Saltzman continues. "Josie will help Hope get accustomed to the school and Hope will help her plan the dance!"   
Lizzie grits her teeth. Josie rolls her eyes. Hope fidgets with her fingers.  
"I don't think it's a good idea, Dad," Josie says in annoyance. "How do we know she can even plan a dance. We don't know her." Josie mutters the last part under her breath.  
Hope would be lying if she says the look of disgust on Josie's face didn't bother her. Months ago, Hope would have jumped at the chance to spend time with Josie. Now, she just feels like a burden. Not wanting to come between Josie and Landon but also wishing they knew who she was. Who she was to them. She speaks up.  
"Yeah, Principal- er- Dr. Saltzman. I don't know if I'm cut out for party-planning."   
Lizzie jabs her in the arm. "Hope," she begins, eyes wide. "I think you seem like a great candidate. It'll be great to have a... fresh opinion on things."   
"So it's set, then," Dr. Saltzman says. "Josie, take Hope to the gym and do with her what you will. Lizzie, you're on invite duty. I'll see you girls later."   
As Hope tries to walk towards the gym with Josie, Lizzie drags her into the opposite hallway.  
"She'll be right there, Jo!" Josie groans and Lizzie pulls Hope further down the hall.  
"What do you think you're doing?!" Lizzie exclaims, dropping Hope's arm.  
"What am I doing? What are you doing? I can't spend time with Josie and hide the fact that I'm not a stranger."  
"Keep it together, Mikaelson," Lizzie says with a groan. "We both know my sister is your weakness. Keep your panties out of a bundle and get through the afternoon."  
"She's not my w-"   
"Don't lie to yourself, Hope ‘Marshall’. Who knows, maybe she'll forget about spending tonight with Landon after all..." Lizzie shudders at the thought and Hope feels the pang of jealousy at the reminder of Landon and Josie's plans.   
Lizzie pushes Hope towards the hallway, towards Josie. "Have fun, Hope! It was so nice meeting you!" she says a little too loud.  
The walk to the gym is... awkward to say the least. The hallways feel different. Darker. Hope resists the urge to touch every surface she sees, to feel at home again.  
Josie walks just a few steps ahead of Hope at all times, carrying her clipboard and momentarily checking the papers in an attempt to avoid conversation. Hope can't help but notice her uniform. Did she spend too much time in Malivore? Or are the Salvatore skirts getting shorter...  
"We're here," Josie says dryly, and Hope shoots her eyes up, gaze meeting the taller brunette's eyes.  
"W-Where should we get started?" Hope says innocently, attempting to ease some tension. She scoots closer to Josie, trying to get a look at the clipboard before it's yanked away from her. "Listen," Josie starts. "I don't know you. I don't know why you're here, and why everyone seems to be so fascinated by you but I have a party to plan and I'm not letting it get ruined by some... new girl." Josie hands Hope a checklist and a map of the school.  
"Here," she says. "The storage closet is down the hall by the elementary rooms. Find whatever you can and bring it back." With that, Josie turns and leaves, leaving Hope alone, standing in the gym she hasn't stepped foot in since she, well, disappeared. 

The hallways are filled with people Hope recognize, but they all look past her. She manages to avoid Landon until she steps back into the gym, arms full of decoration supplies, faced with Landon's arms rushing over Josie's body in the middle of the gym.   
The sight of her ex-boyfriend kissing her best friend makes her drop the box of supplies, startling the couple, making Josie groan in annoyance. Landon rushes over to help Hope, adding the Josie's frustration.   
"Sorry," Hope says. She opens her mouth to say something else but is met with Landon's eyes staring back at hers' instead.  
"Our bad," he says, handing her handfuls of streamers and bags of different colored balloons. "Josie didn't say anyone would be helping her."  
Josie rushes to her boyfriend's side, wrapping her arms around him and acting a little too touchy for Hope's liking.  
Hope has never seen Josie act like this. She doesn't talk, but just giggles and kisses Landon on the cheek, which forces Hope to stare at her feet.  
"I'll leave you too to it," Landon says, giving Josie one more kiss before turning to leave. Hope looks up just in time to see Josie give him a flirtatious wink, the pang of jealousy hitting her in the chest once again.   
Once the girls are alone, Josie snatches the box of decorations from Hope and gets to work hanging things and checking items off of her checklist. She climbs up a ladder and Hope gets the job of stabilizing the bottom of the ladder, gazing up at Josie's knee-high socks and her red heels and she swears they've changed the dress code...   
"So," Josie starts. "You've seemed to have won my dad over. And my sister. And my boyfriend." Hope's cheeks flush and she meets Josie's eyes when she climbs back down the ladder.   
Josie forces out a laugh. "Are you gonna say anything? Or are you just going to flirt with my boyfriend and ignore me."  
Think, Hope. "I don't know," she says. "Your father was there when I first got to Mystic Falls High School, and Lizzie was one of the first people I met here... I guess. Landon and I met a-at the football game," she feels Josie staring her down, arms crossed over her chest. "I helped him in the woods w-with Raf-"  
"Oh yeah, a werewolf and a witch," Josie starts. "What other secrets have you got hidden in that head of yours?" Josie's comment makes Hope blush again, and she busies herself by rummaging through her box of decorations.   
"W-Why would I have secrets?" Hope asks, forcing a nervous laugh.  
"Well, you show up at my school, you apparently know everyone close to me and for some reason, they're all totally okay with letting an- outsider- into the school. Seems suspicious to me."  
Hope swallows hard. How much can she tell Josie without putting her in danger?   
"I guess I just-"  
Jo!" Lizzie exclaims, rushing into the room. Saved by the bell, Hope thinks.  
"I thought you guys could use a break! I'm sure you've been working so hard all morning and our I don't want our... guest to get tired out before her first Salvatore School dance!" Lizzie's voice is rushed and urgent and suspicious and Hope isn't surprised that Josie knows somethings up.  
She ushers Josie out of the room. "Your troll-loving boyfriend is probably somewhere ruining something, go find him!" Lizzie calls before tuning to Hope.  
"What were you planning on telling her?!" She exclaims.  
"I-I don't know," Hope replies. "She was asking me so many questions and I didn't know what I could tell her without-"  
"No fear, Mikaelson. It is my fault I left you alone with her. You and I both know she's your Achilles' Heel."   
“Why do you keep saying that??"   
"Hope! I have seen the way you look at her. Ever since we were young. Shame you're the only one who can't realize it."  
"Realize what? You know what, I don't want to know."  
"It's getting close to the dance. Do you have something to wear? A dress? A plan for your, no offense... archaic hairstyle?"  
"I-I wasn't really planning on going," Hope says, fiddling with her fingers once again. "No way I'm letting you wander around tone, moping tonight. You're sticking with me tonight and we can mourn Josie and Landon's... tragic plans together. How does that sound?"  
"Don't remind me," Hope says. She feels tears stinging her eyes, but won't let herself be vulnerable in front of Lizzie.  
"Don't fret, my friend," Lizzie says. "I'll kick Josie out and you can get ready in my room. How's that sound?"   
Hope nods, knowing Lizzie isn't going to let up on her.   
When it's time to leave for the dance, Lizzie helps Hope get ready and they arrive at the dance together. The gym is packed, the decorations look great, but Hope's eyes fixate on the figure at one of the tables.   
Josie wears a white dress and a pretty pink flower and her hair is overflowing with curls. Wrapped around her wrist is a white corsage, matching with the white flower pinned to Landon's vest.   
Hope feels overwhelmed. She feels happy for Josie; happy for both of them, really. But she can't help but feel guilt at the fact that she wishes it was her down there.  
Wou;d she rather replace Josie or Landon, though. Her mind feels conflicted. She knows she's in love with Landon, maybe she always will be. But something about having a fresh start... maybe it isn't so bad after all.  
"Snap out of it, Mikaelson," Lizzie says. "If you pine over them all night you're never gonna get anywhere."  
Hope doesn't reply, she knows Lizzie is right. "It's not too late to go down there. If what Josie's been saying is true... tonight's the night, Hope. Josie kicked me out of my room for the night."  
The tears sting Hope's eyes again and she looks up, attempting to keep them from falling down her cheeks.  
"They look happy," she finally says. "If I tell them anything, it'll just be words. they won't remember who I am or how they feel about me."   
"Well then live a little, Hope," Lizzie says, pulling Hope by her arm into the crowd of people. "Let's dance!"  
Dancing distracts Hope from the incessant buzzing in her head. She can't remember the last time she just let herself have fun.

Meanwhile, the two people she cares about and loves the most have snuck off to Josie's room...  
"My sister's calling," Lizzie says, placing her drink on the table. "I'll be right back."   
Hope should have known the punch was spiked from her first cup. The more she drank, though, the less she tasted the bitter aftertaste of the drink. She and Lizzie found a table to sit at and spent the rest of their time laughing and talking before they noticed Landon and Josie were gone.  
Lizzie comes back a couple minutes later, an urgent look on her face.  
"Mikaelson, if you screw this up I'm gonna kill you," she says when she gets to the table.  
"What did she say?" Hope asks, slurring her words the slightest amount.  
"God, you'd think with your circumstances you wouldn't be such a lightweight," Lizzie groans, pulling Hope out of the gym and out into the empty hallway.  
"Landon and Josie aren't having sex," Lizzie says bluntly. "Apparently the mop-headed idiot screwed it up, I don't know, Josie was crying on the phone."  
"You want me to go up there? She hates me," Hope says.  
"You're tipsy, she's vulnerable," Lizzie starts, practically pushing Hope towards the staircase. "I don't know, seems like the perfect amount of trouble to me!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiii thank you for all the kind words on the first chapter!! i hope you enjoy chapter 2:)

Somehow, Hope ends up in the hallway of the twins' dorm, standing in front of their door, her hand only inches away from the wood. Her fist is so close to knocking, but something holds her back. Anything could happen if she knocks on the door. Anything could happen if she opens the door and sees Josie, crying and angry on her perfect white dress.  
A force, maybe magic, maybe the alcohol, maybe ambition, makes her knock on the door, and she's met immediately by Josie's mascara stained face, still looking as beautiful as she did at the beginning of the night, maybe just a little disheveled.  
"Hope?" she asks, her voice neither angry nor relieved. "L-Lizzie told me she was coming up here."   
"I- er- MG showed up and asked her to dance. She sent me instead. I didn't think I'd want to come between Romeo and his Juliet," Hope says, a soft smile tugging at the edge of her lips.  
"How..." Josie starts, opening the door slightly wider. "How would you know about MG's crush on Lizzie?"   
"Oh, you know, word gets around, I guess," Hope laughs nervously. She peers into the twins' room, looking different than it did before Hope jumped into Malivore. "Can I come in?"  
Josie doesn't nod or shake her head, just opens the door wider, allowing Hope to enter her room. She stops in front of the mirror, wiping the black makeup from under her eyes to no avail while hope stands awkwardly in the middle of the room.  
"Let me help," Hope says, and Josie hops up on her dresser as Hope fetches a wet cloth from the girls' bathroom. She dabs beneath Josie's eyes, wiping away the makeup, revealing her blotchy cheeks underneath. She's so close to Josie she can feel her breath when she exhales. Josie must have drunk some of the punch as well, as Hope can smell the slightest scent of alcohol on her breath.  
Tears still stream slowly down Josie's cheeks, even after Hope has wiped away the makeup, and Hope reaches out to brush the hot tears away with her thumbs. Josie lets herself sink into Hope's touch before she turns her face away and hops off of the dresser, forcing Hope away from her.  
"I really wish you weren't here right now," Josie says. "What's your deal, Hope? Why do I feel like I know you?"  
Hope freezes up, she wipes her palms on her snakeskin skirt to no avail, and nervously shifts her weight from one leg to another.  
"Answer me," Josie says, standing up from her bed and moving closer to Hope.  
"Jo, I-"   
"You called me Jo," Josie replies. "Why would you call me that unless you-"  
Hope quiets the girl by grabbing her face and smashing their lips together, Josie's hands wandering up hope's back and towards her hair. Something shifts in Hope as her hands drop to Josie's hips, and, for a moment, she forgets her tragic circumstance before Josie frantically pulls away, nearly pushing Hope away. "Josie I'm sorry I-"  
"Who. Are. You," Josie asks, her face twisted with anger, sadness, disbelief.  
"I promise I would tell you if I could, Jo," Hope replies. "It would- it would be a bad idea. It wouldn't change anything."  
Hope wishes she knew what Josie was thinking. Her hands grab fistfuls of the fabric of her dress and she looks around her room while Hope stands, helpless.  
"Hope, I can't do this right now," she finally says, avoiding meeting Hope's eyes. "I mean, I have a boyfriend. If nothing else, I can't break Landon's trust like that."  
The frustration rising in Hope's chest is enough to make her want to scream; To tell Josie the truth. To tell everyone the truth.  
Lizzie has teased Hope for having a crush on her sister, but is it so far off to think Josie feels the same way? She tries to think of something, anything to spark Josie's memory.  
What's something only Josie would know?   
Josie speaks once again before Hope can say anything.  
"Thanks for coming up here, Hope," she says, crossing towards the door and opening it slightly, making sure no one is around to see Hope in her room. "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."   
Hope leaves the room, immediately turning to face the door once it's closed.  
"God, I'm such an idiot," she whispers to herself, and spends the night in the empty gym, comforted by the decorations she spent the afternoon putting up. 

Weeks later.

Hope knew that Lizzie knew about Hope's pitiful crush on her twin, but saying it out loud sealed the deal. Hope and Lizzie are the only two that weren't blasted with Josie's spell, and they stand silently on opposite sides of the gym doorway, waiting for Josie to regain consciousness.  
"I don't know, Lizzie," Hope says, her voice barely above a whisper. "I think I'm probably the last person Josie is interested in seeing right now."  
"Well," Lizzie starts. "How did it go with Mophead? MG told me you had to save his ass in the woods."  
"Not well," Hope replies, sinking down to the floor and burying her face in her hands. "He wouldn't even talk to me."  
"Consider yourself lucky," Lizzie scoffs, joining Hope on the floor. "I've spent all summer watching him pine and brood over someone he doesn't know exists. Maybe the two of you are better off..."   
Lizzie trails off as Josie stirs awake, the brunette immediately clutching her head as soon as she's awake enough to sit up.  
"Josie, You're-" Hope begins to say, but is shot by a look from Josie that she can't explain.  
"I can't believe you," she begins. "Either of you!" Lizzie speaks up. "Josie we just-"  
"You knew!" she says, her voice filled with pain. "And you didn't think to tell me?"  
"It wouldn't have changed anything," Hope chimes in, Hope turning back to her. "You wouldn't have remembered. Anyways, you and Landon were..."   
"Were what, Hope? You knew we were together and you still pulled that stunt on me after the dance?!"  
"Woah woah, what happened after the dance??" Lizzie says, getting ignored by the other two girls.  
"Lizzie, please," Hope pleads. "Let me talk to her." Lizzie obliges reluctantly and leaves the two girls in the gym, who now sit cross-legged on the floor across from each other.  
Hope has no idea what to say to Josie. Their kiss a few weeks ago it... it woke something up in Hope. She hasn't stopped thinking about Josie's lips or the way her skin felt under Hope's fingertips. She's busied herself with stupid tasks in an attempt to stop her thoughts being flooded with just the brunette, but a corner of Hope's mind will always be reserved for Josie; Her thoughts always drifting back there.  
"Are you not going to say anything?" Josie asks, fiddling with the cuff of her jeans.  
"What do you want me to say, Jo?" Hope asks softly, her gaze never leaving the brunette's face.   
"Why did you kiss me?" Josie's voice is filled with pain and guilt and God knows what else. "If you knew how I felt about you... You knew that I didn't remember."   
Hope tries to speak but is interrupted again by Josie, who now has tears spilling down her cheeks.   
"I didn't fully forget you, Hope. I mean, I had no idea who you were, but something inside me... when you came to my room that night, something in me knew that wasn't the first time I'd felt that way... for you."  
The room is heavy with silence and the air feels too thick for Hope to properly breathe.  
"Do you regret it?" Hope asks, scooting closer to Josie, forcing the brunette girl to pull her legs into her chest.  
"I don't know how I feel," she says finally. "I wish you wouldn't have done it, but I also wish you'd done it years ago."   
Hope's eyes meet Josie's and she represses a soft smile from forming on her lips.  
"Can you leave?" Josie asks, wiping the back of her wrist across her cheeks. "I don't really want to cry in front of you."   
"Josie I-"  
"Please, Hope," Josie pleads, turning her head to look up at the ceiling, squeezing her eyes shut. "Don't make this worse than it has to be."  
Hope takes a moment, but ultimately leaves Josie alone in the gym. She can hear Josie start to cry almost immediately after Hope closes the door, which causes something to break deep inside of her chest. Knowing that she caused Josie this pain makes her regret ever coming back here in the first place. Maybe she was right to have sacrificed herself; everyone seemed to be doing better without her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you enjoyed this!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> got a little flashback action in this one huh!!

8 years ago 

Hope and Josie sit next to each other every day at morning assembly. Josie would always try to make Hope laugh, which Hope detested; she didn't want to get in trouble with Josie's mom and dad.  
Dr. Saltzman is saying something about the upcoming winter break, but Hope and Josie aren't paying attention. Josie spends her time fiddling with the hem of her skirt and humming while Hope sneaks glances at her. Hope always thought her friend wore the cutest uniforms; she loved the way Josie wore her hair and alwatched matched her hair bows to her clothes.  
Josie catches Hope's eyes and Hope stares back into her lap, blushing.   
"You're not listening," Josie whispers, nudging Hope in the arm.  
"This is boring," Hope replies. The girls giggle for the rest of the assembly and Hope is relieved when assembly finally lets out and she and Josie get to go to breakfast.  
Jo always held Hope's hand when they walked down the halls. Josie says it's because she doesn't want to get lost, but it secretly made Hope's stomach feel funny. Josie likes to swing their arms which always makes Hope's arm hurt, but she never says anything. She likes Josie's hand, it makes her feel safe.  
"Isn't that what the older kids do?" Hope asked her friend one day. "When they're dating?" She says "dating" in a grossed-out tone which makes the two of them laugh.   
"We can be dating!" Josie says. "We are friends!" Hope assumed Josie was right, she usually is.   
4 years ago 

Hope was never one for parties. She'd rather spend her time in her room studying than sitting at the old mill and listening to Lizzie Saltzman gossip about whoever she doesn't like that day.   
Tonight, though, the last night of summer vacation is the biggest party that the older students throw and this year, Hope and the twins are finally old enough to go.  
The old mill usually scares Hope. It's always dark in there and hidden, and Hope doesn't like how deep it is in the woods. Tonight, though, it's decorated with pretty lights and there's snacks and someone has made a bowl of punch that has a weird bitter aftertaste.   
There's a group of upperclassman that sit in a circle in the middle of the space, playing cards and laughing and talking too loud. Lizzie Saltzman sits with them. She's sandwiched between to boys that Hope has never even seen before; she wonders how Lizzie even knows them.  
The group starts to hollar and Hope notices someone has put an empty beer bottle in the middle.   
"You ever played spin the bottle, Saltzman?" one of the older boys asks Lizzie. She shakes her head and all the older kids eye each other.  
"Don't worry," another boy says. "We'll show you." He gives the bottle a spin and waits for it to slow down, eventually landing on a girl across from him. They laugh and the whole group watches as they lean in and exchange a kiss that Hope thinks is a little too sloppy for her taste.  
She wouldn't know, though, she's never kissed anyone.  
"Easy," Lizzie says, proudly, and gives the bottle a spin. It lands on a boy near her and she quickly leans in and gives him a peck on the lips, as to the group's surprise.  
"Gross," Hope says under her breath.   
"Who's next?" an older girl asks, and Lizzie scans the room. Her eyes land on her sister, who's been sitting and quietly watching the group from the corner of her room. Hope watches as Josie shakes her head and is dragged into the circle by her sister, reluctantly sitting down and hesitantly taking the bottle.  
"You too, Mikaelson," Lizzie says, taking Hope by surprise. Hope shakes her head but is yanked off of the couch and onto the floor across from Josie and Lizzie, sitting between two older girls that she doesn't recognize.   
Hope watches Josie give the bottle a spin, waiting for it to slow down before the neck of the bottle has ended up point towards her.  
Hope and Josie's eyes meet. Hope swallows hard and tries to think of an excuse.   
"I'm not kissing her," Josie pouts.  
The upperclassman groan and object but Josie just stands up to leave the group.  
"Don't be a baby, Jo," Lizzie says and shoots Josie a look. "You've never had your first kiss, just get it over with."   
Josie just turns her chin up and walks quietly away from the old mill.  
"Lame," Lizzie says, and turns back to the group of people.   
Hope is still sitting, eyes wide, trying to comprehend what's just happened. Would she have kissed Josie if she could? Of course not, Josie's her friend!   
"Are you gonna spin it?" a girl next to Hope asks, motioning towards the bottle. Hope doesn't say anything, just nods, and the upperclassmen roll their eyes.  
"Your friends are lame, Saltzman," a boy says.   
"Tell me about it," Lizzie responds, and hope is given an excuse to leave the old mill and follow Josie.  
It's too dark outside for Hope's liking.   
"Jo!" she whisper-shouts, walking deeper into the woods, trying to follow the light that she can see from the school int he distance. She calls Josie's name again before a branch cracks behind her, making her jump.  
"BOO!" someone yells, making Hope jump and fall backwards onto the ground.  
She sees the person come close before a hand reaches out to help her up, a soft hand that's attached to Josie's arm.   
"I hate you!" Hope laughs. "You know I hate the woods."  
"It was too good!" Josie responds and helps Hope up. "Sorry about back there."  
Hope doesn't know if she wants to talk about it. Did Josie mean it? Saying she didn't want to kiss Hope? Hope wonders why she cares so much anyways.   
"It's not your fault," Hope finally replies as the girls walk together back to the school. "I don't even know who half of those people are."  
Hope feels Josie's arm brush her own before she takes Hope's hand and intertwines their fingers. Hope is relieved; she feels safer knowing that she's got someone to hold onto. She's always thought Josie's hands were soft and felt like they fit perfectly in her own hands. She tries to ignore these thoughts because they make her nervous.  
Jo makes her nervous.  
The girls make it back to the school before they finally acknowledge that they'd been holding hands and Hope blushes, dropping Josie's hand.  
"I don't think I like parties," Josie whispers when they get outside of Hope's door. "I definitely don't like spin the bottle."   
"Me neither," Hope replies with a smile. "I liked being with you, though."  
Is that something she can say to a friend? Hope doesn't talk to her other friends like that.  
"Me too," Josie says softly. The girls are silent for a moment and Hope wonders if she's supposed to say anything.   
"You've never had your first kiss?" she blurts out, which makes Josie look at her weird.  
"I can't believe she told everyone that," Josie responds. "Don't tell Lizzie I told you, but that was her first kiss, too. She's been talking about it for weeks. She knew they'd play that stupid game tonight."  
"Do... Would you want to kiss someone?" Hope asks, immediately regretting it. "I mean, if it wasn't me. Maybe if it was someone older. And a boy."   
Hope avoids looking at her friend and Josie fidgets with her fingers. She takes a step closer to Hope which forces her to look up. She didn't realize how close Jo was to her or how quiet it is in the hallway. It has to be past curfew; Hope doesn't want to get in trouble and definitely doesn't want to get Josie in trouble either. Josie opens her mouth to say something but closes it instead, taking Hope's hand back in her's and stepping even closer.  
"Jo?" Hope asks quietly. "We're gonna get in trouble." Josie looks at her, confused, and drops her hand.  
"You're right," she whispers. "I'll see you tomorrow." Josie turns and leaves and Hope has to watch her walk to her room, giving her a final look before Josie's door shuts and she disappears.   
Hope falls onto her bed and falls asleep without even changing out of her party clothes. She squeezes her eyes closed tight and falls asleep fast, images of her best friend flashing behind her eyelids. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don’t love this but i couldn’t get the idea out of my head


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took a bit longer! i hope you enjoy:)  
> p.s. i’m sorry if there are some errors in the format, i’m still figuring out how to import my writing on here:))

Having to avoid Josie for days after she blasted everyone with that spell was torture for Hope. She'd been actively trying to sneak through the halls, avoiding anyone she could but especially Josie and Landon. Her room has been overtaken by Alyssa Chang and she spends most of her nights outside at the Old Mill, alone. This isn't how this was supposed to be, Hope thinks to herself. Tonight is especially cold, and she hugs her knees to her chest, wrapping herself tighter in a ragged blanket that the twins must have hid here years ago. Hope was supposed to be the hero. Like her father, her mother, her uncle Elijah; anyone she's ever loved has sacrificed themselves to save her and when she tries to do the same for the people she cares for most, it backfires.  
The thing tearing Hope up the most, though, is the fact that she can't get through to Josie. Everyone else at the school could despise her, but if that brunette witch trusted her again, loved her again, it'd have all been worth it.  
Footsteps snap her out of her thoughts, and Hope sits up defensively.  
"Don't pounce, Mikaelson," a familiar voice says, and Lizzie walks into the dimly lit space.   
Hope groans. "I'm not exactly in the mood for a lecture right now, Lizzie," she says.  
"Like you have another better to do," Lizzie replies and plops herself down on the couch next to Hope. "Besides, if you don't start talking about your feelings, you're going to explode."  
"My feelings?!"   
"Yes, Hope," Lizzie deadpans. "Shocker, I know, but even the great Hope Mikaelson is allowed to let herself be vulnerable once in a while." She adjusts herself on the couch to get more comfortable. "So, fess up."  
"About what?" Hope says, disappointed. "You saw how Josie acted when she remembered who I was. What makes you think she'll want to be anywhere near me now?"  
"God, could you be more clueless?" Lizzie replies. "Yes, Josie is angry. Yes, you removed yourself from everyone's lives and made things weird and now you have to deal with it. Besides, after Josie and Landon's fiasco after the dance and you coming back..." Lizzie trails off.  
Hope looks at her, puzzled. "What aren't you telling me?"  
Lizzie looks like she's filled to the brim with secrets just waiting to be spilled. Her words flow out too fast and Hope questions if she heard her correctly.  
"Josie and Landon broke up and Josie doesn't know if he'll choose you are her and she's having second thoughts about their relationship and-" Her eyes widen. "I've said too much already."  
"Second thoughts? About what?!"   
"What makes you think I know? I'm just the messenger." Lizzie attempts to get up but is pulled back down onto the couch by Hope's strong grip on her arm and she collapses back into the old plush of the sofa. "You've screwed things up enough, Lizzie. You owe me at least this," Hope says.  
"I have done nothing but make you and Josie realize what you already knew," Lizzie says smugly. Hope makes a face like she isn't following. "God, Hope! You guys are like, in love or whatever!"  
"We are not!" Hope defends.  
"Think about it, Mikaelson. The confession you made in the gym about your so-called 'crush'; I've been watching you drool over my sister for years. Oh, and you kissing Josie the night of the dance? Yeah, she told me all about that, too."   
Hope silently curses herself for kissing Jo and makes a note to never bring up her feelings about Josie to Lizzie ever again. Hope takes a deep breath.  
"Okay," she says. "I like Josie. Is that what you want to hear?"   
Lizzie squeals and claps her hands together obnoxiously, the noise cutting straight through the silence of the woods.   
"I knew it!" she exclaims, hugging Hope tight almost comically. Hope shoves Lizzie off and dusts herself off.  
"Listen to me well, Lizzie," she says, looking Lizzie dead in the eyes. "You don't tell Jo, you don't tell MG, you don't tell your father, and you certainly won;t be telling Landon."  
"God," Lizzie rolls her eyes. "Why is everyone so bent over backwards when it comes to that idiot!"  
"He's not an idiot, Lizzie. If it's true that he and Jo are really broken up, he'll want to talk to me." Well, maybe he will, Hope thinks to herself.  
"God, I've screwed up so much." Hope buries her face in her hands.  
"You really do," Lizzie says, zero empathy in her voice. "Well, have fun with that!"  
Before Hope can get another word in, Lizzie has hopped off of the couch and skipped out of the old mill, leaving Hope alone, extremely conflicted and shivering from the bitter cold. 

Hope finds herself back at the twins' door. It's free period, and Hope knows Lizzie is always out of the room at this hour. It's just Hope's luck that Josie is in her room alone. She opens the door and her face twists into a frown when she sees Hope on the other side.  
"Before you say anything," Hope says. "I just... I need to talk to you, Jo. I can't keep avoiding you."  
The girls are quiet for a moment before Josie opens the door wider, letting Hope in.  
Hope hadn't been in the twins' room since the night of the dance and even then, she wasn't able to take it all in. There's a wall of photos on Jo's side of the room that Hope has never seen before, some missing spces that Hope assumes used to hold pictures of Josie and Landon. "I take it you've talked to my sister," Josie says. She sits down on her bed and Hope, knowing better, sits in a chair across from Jo.   
"H-How do you know?" Hope asks.   
"She talked to me, too," Josie laughs.  
"About me?" Hope asks. Josie just nods. "W-What did she say?"  
"Didn't you come here to say something?" Josie asks, changing the subject.  
The girls stare into space for a moment, Hope trying to figure out something to say.   
"I don't like avoiding you," Hope says. "I... I miss you." Hope hates letting herself be vulnerable like this. Josie is probably the only person she'd tell things like this too.   
"I miss you too, Hope," Josie says, almost too quiet to hear. "I know I shouldn't but I..."  
"Can't help it," Hope finishes. She locks eyes with Josie and feels her heart begin to race. "I feel the same way."  
"What am I supposed to say, Hope? What do we do?" The girls are closer now, Hope has sat forward in her chair and Josie has leaned forward so her elbows rest on her knees, her face only inches away from Hope's.  
"I think..." Hope begins. "I think I might love you, Jo." Josie's eyes look glossy. She takes her bottom lip between her teeth, signaling Hope to continue. "Like, ever since we were kids. I think I've loved you for a long time."  
Hope doesn't know why she says it, she doesn't want to ruin things between them. Judging by Josie's face, though, it seems like she said the right thing.  
Josie doesn't respond, just trails her fingers in circles over one of Hope's knees, her touch feeling like fire on Hope's skin.  
Hope is close enough to breathe in Josie's scent; she smells clean, like a linen candle, and the smell comforts Hope.  
"What if we ruin things?" Josie whispers, leaning even closer. "What if my sister finds out?"  
"She won't," Hope says protectively, her fingers trailing down Josie's jawline, pulling her face closer.  
Josie's eyes flutter closed, followed by Hope's, and just as Hope is about to press her lips to Jo's-

-she wakes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know i know... this is torture for me too


	5. Chapter 5

Hope has a weird feeling when she wakes up. Her back is drenched with sweat, so much so that she's forced to wake up early and take a shower. 

She heats the shower water up, steps in, and immediately winces when the water hits her face. She runs her finger down her jaw and neck, hissing when her fingers brush her jawbone. 

A look in the mirror reveals a huge gash on her jawline; angry, black veins crawling from the gash onto her cheek. 

Black magic, Hope things. What else could it be? 

If it was any old cut, Hope would have healed by now. 

The telltale black streaks and the prolonged healing tells Hope this isn't some normal wound. 

Who'd be messing with black magic on a random weekday, though? And why is Hope being affected?

Hope slathers the gash in an old herbal remedy her aunt Freya gave her before crawling back in bed, the black magic in her system making her nauseous and drowsy. 

Even hours later, the skin on her jaw is pulsing and hot to the touch. 

Hope rushes to Dr. Saltzman's office, a scarf covering the angry gash on her cheek, feeling embarrassed about how stupid she must look. 

"Dr. Saltzman I-" she says, stepping into the headmaster's office, before noticing he's nowhere to be found.

It's first period; Alaric is always in his office after morning assembly. 

She pulls out her phone; no texts, no missed calls, nothing. 

She shoots a text to Lizzie:

Hope: where's your dad??   
Hope: and where are you?

She waits for a response. 

Lizzie: meet me in your room

Oh no

Nothing about this seems normal, or good. Hope's thoughts shoot to Josie, hoping whatever weird shit is going on, that Jo is safe. 

She heads back up to her took. 

Lizzie is already nervously sitting on Hope's bed when Hope walks into her dorm. The blonde shoots up when she sees Hope enter. 

"What's going on??" Hope asks urgently. "

I have no idea," Lizzie says. "I was looking for Jo and my dad when you texted me. I haven't seen Josie since yesterday. She wasn't in my room when I woke up."

Josie.

Hope can worry about nothing else. "

Um... Not that it's important? Lizzie starts. "But why are you wearing such a terrible scarf??"

Hope rolls her eyes and pulls the scarf from her neck, revealing the gash that's creeped up further onto her cheek. "

I don't know where the hell it came from but it can't be good," Hope says. 

Lizzie eyes widen and she pulls up her sleeve, under which sits an angry red scratch identical to Hope. 

"It was there when I woke up. I dreamt about..." she trails off

"About Josie," Hope finishes. "Me, too."

Lizzie ignores this fact, which Hope is grateful for, and continues instead. 

"I don't think Josie's okay," Lizzie says. 

Hope doesn't respond, just stares at Lizzie, then her arm, then Lizzie again. 

"I'm gonna figure out how to get these cleared up," Hope says, gesturing towards Lizzie's and her own gash. "You keep looking around for Jo and your dad. We'll find them."

Hope says this confidently, but both girls know the truth. If black magic is involved, everything gets that much more complicated. They don't teach black magic at school and ever since Alaric caught her within that death spell, she's tried not to get herself wrapped up in it. 

Hope is sitting in her room, hours later, when a note is slipped under her door. 

It's subtle, but she can hear the shuffle of the paper against the floor, and she's super-aware of everything around her today. 

She unfolds the note, noting the writing is pretty and loopy cursive, written in light pink. 

Meet me at the old mill after the sun sets. I'm okay. -J

Hope doesn't know how to feel. Relief? Fear? Nervousness? 

The "J", the pink pen, the cursive handwriting. It has to be Josie, right? 

Why is she at the old mill, though, And why hasn't she contacted Lizzie yet?

Hope arrives at the old mill at around 8:30, after the sun is far under the horizon. No one seems to be around, definitely not Josie. Hope can usually smell Josie's fresh scent whenever she's around. 

"Jo?" Hope asks quietly. "Jo, you're okay, I'm here." 

"Hope?" a voice says. "Hope! I'm up here," the voice says again.

Hope turns her head up to the second story of the mill, in the direction of where the voice came from. She follows the voice tentatively, reaching the second story slowly. 

"Josie?" she asks once more, before she sees the girls' figure emerge from the shadows, into the dim lighting of the old mill. 

Josie doesn't look like herself. She's pale, her hair's a darker shade, and she's wearing clothes that Hope has never seen before. Definitely not a Salvatore uniform. 

"Josie... Is everything okay?"

Josie walks all the way into the light, revealing all of herself to Hope, and Hope can tell this can't be the same Josie she's known for years. 

"You- You're not Josie," Hope says, trying to sound confident when in reality, her heart is pumping straight out of her chest. 

"Oh, honey, I am though," Josie says. "You're looking for weak Josie. The Josie that would never admit her feelings for you."

Hope plants her feet in place, even when Josie moved closer to her, a sharp nailed-finger scraping against the gash on her jawline. 

"Aw," Josie says, faking concern. "Did I do that to you? It was so easy to get into your head last night. You didn't even notice I was there!"

"Where's Josie," Hope growls. 

"Oh, Hope," Josie coos. "She's right here! And she's way more fun than your old, lame Josie."

In a split second, Josie's hands are gripping Hope's shoulders, the skin beneath her hands glowing red as the girl siphons from Hope. 

Hope can barely ask Josie what she's doing before Josie removes her hands, blasts Hope with a spell she's never heard before, and Hope's vision goes black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m having so much fun with this... i hope you guys are liking it!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took longer than usual! please lmk what you think:)

Hope's head pounds when she wakes up. She feels her heartbeat in her brain and thinks it might pump its way out of her skull. 

The lights are too bright when she first opens her eyes so she squeezes them tight again, waiting until the watercolor-like hues behind her eyelids turn dark to open them again, indicating someone has turned off the bright light.

"Hope?" a familiar voice asks. "I think she's waking up."

"Finally, Mikaelson," this voice comes form Lizzie. "The whole school has been pining over you for days."

"Shut up, Lizzie," another voice says. 

Hope's eyelids eventually flutter open and various sets of eyes look down on her. 

She recognizes the school nurse, Alaric, Lizzie, MG, and Landon.

She wonders where Josie is. 

Josie..."

Where's Jo??" she asks, sitting up too quickly. The nurse pushes gently on her shoulders, coaxing her back onto the bed. 

"Jo's okay..." Dr Saltzman says gently. "She's... recovering. Like you."

Someone shushes him. 

"Recovering?!" Hope exclaims. "What happened?"

"Focusing on resting right now, Hope," the nurse says. "You've had a... busy couple of days."

Alaric shoots her a look and she hurries away before Hope can ask what she means. 

Hope sighs and shuts her eyes, wanting everyone to just leave and let her be alone. She huffs out a breath and opens her eyes again. 

"How long do I have to stay here?" Hope asks. "

How do you feel?" Alaric replies.

If she's honest, Hope feels terrible. She feels even worse knowing that she'll have to stay in the infirmary and do nothing, so she lies and grits her teeth.

“Fine," she replies. "I'd rather just go to my room."The boys look at each other, Lizzie rolls her eyes, and they all look back down at Hope. 

Alaric fetches the nurse and soon, Hope is able to make her way back to her room, still confused on why she was out for so long. 

The last thing she remembers is Josie hitting her with... black magic. Saying that the "old Josie" wouldn't admit her feelings to hope. 

What feelings? 

Where's Josie?

Hope's mind floods with thoughts and possibilities. Surely Josie wouldn't hurt her. 

A knock on her door snaps her out of her thoughts. 

"Come in!" she replies, and her door opens ever so slowly and Hope silently hopes that it's Jo that walks in. 

Her blonde counterpart waltzes in instead, to Hope's dismay. "

What do you want, Lizzie," Hope sighs. 

"Don't get on the defensive, Mikaelson,” Lizzie replies, sitting on the edge of Hope's bed. "I came here to hear what you'd been up to with my sister the past few days."

Hope's eyes widen.

"W- Huh??"

"You and Jo," Lizzie continues. "I figured since you disappeared for the past few days that you were with her...""

What the hell are you talking about? Last I remember Jo and your dad were missing."

Lizzie sighs heavily. "Of course you don't remember. MG found you at the old mill a couple days ago, unconscious on the floor. By the time he came back with help, you were gone. No one had heard from you until yesterday."

Hope's head starts to pound. 

Where had she been? 

"Has anyone found Jo?"

Lizzie shakes her head. "My dad thought if I came up here and talked to you-"

“It might jog my memory," Hope finished Lizzie's sentence and shakes her head. "I lost time. The last thing I remember, Josie was... she knocked me out." 

"What are you not telling me?" Lizzie asks. "You know what, I don't want to know. We need to find my sister."

Hope nods her head in agreement and tried to stand up, hissing and sitting back down when her headache makes it evident she won't be going anywhere anytime soon. 

Lizzie scoffs. Hope rolls her eyes. 

"Come back later," Hope says. "Find a distraction for your dad and meet me at the mill at 9."

Lizzie nods and leaves the room, leaving Hope alone again with her thoughts. 

At sometime in the afternoon, Hope drifts off to sleep. Her eyelids flutter in a dream and her brain gives her dreams of running through the woods.

It's dark, but she doesn't feel scared now. The moon is bright and casts a dim glow on her face that makes her feel calm. 

The old mill is lit with Christmas lights and the roof is gone so that when Hope tilts her head towards the ceiling, she sees stars instead. It’s romantic. 

“Hope?" She heard a small voice call. 

Her head whips towards the sound, and sees Josie standing in the entrance of the old mill, clothes covered in dirt and her hair in a mess atop her head.

"Jo!" Hope calls, and run towards the girl, enveloping her in a tight hug. 

"Are you okay? Where have you been?" She showers the girl with questions before Josie pulls away, her hands sliding to Hope's forearms and looks intensely in her eyes. 

“Hope you have to get out of here," Josie says, and Hope's smile immediately drops. 

"Huh?"

“I'm okay. I need you to stay at the school. You're safe there."

Before Hope can get another word in, Josie's face contorts and she lets out an ear piercing scream, sending Hope flying back.

Hope sits up frantically in her bed, sweat beading down her neck making the underside of her hair damp. 

She checks her clock, it's only 5:45. 

Immediately, she shoots a text to Lizzie. 

To Lizzie: meet me in the library asap  
To Lizzie: something took Jo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> where am i going with this? who knows. but i hope you’re liking it:)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for not posting in a while!! also, i think landon has kind of just disappeared in this fic, hope you don’t mind. enjoy:))

Hope is relieved when she sees Lizzie stumble into the library. 

“Finally," she says. "Take a seat." 

"Where's my sister, Mikaelson?" Lizzie asks urgently, hesitantly sitting in one of the worn chairs at one of the library tables. 

Hope plops a book down on the table in front of Lizzie. It's probably the thickest one in the library, and Hope had to look in the restricted section of books to find it. 

"Are you gonna elaborate?" Lizzie says impatiently, resting her chin on one of her hands. 

"The longer we sit here, the longer Jo is out there with whoever- whatever took her." "

Calm down," Hope sighs and opens the book, being careful with the ancient pages. "I researched this years ago in my Mythical Creatures class," she continues. Lizzie eyes her intently. 

Hope flips to a page and points to a paragraph. She and Lizzie hover over the page in silence, focusing on the picture that's been painted on the page. 

"A banshee?" Lizzie asks, reading over the page. "Never heard of it." "

It's a mythical demon that..." Hope trails off and clears her throat. "Her scream is supposed to foretell the death of a loved one." 

Lizzie's eyes widen. "Please tell me this has nothing to do with my sister." Her eyes start to get glossy and Hope, for once, feels bad for Lizzie. 

“I had a dream last night. Josie was there. At the old mill. She told me I needed to stay here at the school, where it was safe. She screamed and I... I woke up. I don't know where she is, Lizzie but I don't think she's safe." 

“So," Lizzie begins. "First, you find her in the old mill, she blasts you with black magic, and you pass out. Now, you're saying she was... kidnapped by a banshee?" 

“I don't think it was Josie that knocked me out. It must have been the same demon that took Jo."

"Where do we even start?" Lizzie asks, rubbing her forehead in defeat. 

Hope gazed intensely back at Lizzie, opening her mouth to say she has no idea before something pops into her head. 

"The old mill," Hope says. "Meet me there after dark. And don't tell your dad."

Hours later, Hope is heading to the old mill once again. She nervously rubs her hands together nervously, remembering the last time she was here.

Where did she disappear to? It had to have something to do with the banshee, right? 

"Mikaelson!" Hope heard, which makes her jump. Lizzie is jogging towards her, a backpack on her shoulder. 

MG, Kaleb, and Rafael trail behind her, each holding a flashlight, the beams of light cutting straight though the dark woods. 

"Turn those off!!" Hope exclaims, motioning towards the flashlights. "Dr. Saltzman could see the light any minute and we'd be busted."

"Dr. S doesn't know his own daughter is missing??" Kaleb asks, switching off his flashlight. 

"It's been a busy day, okay," Hope sighs. She turns to Lizzie. "You really had to bring the whole school with you?" 

"You're on edge," Lizzie says. "The more people we have with us the more likely we are to save Jo without... literally dying." 

"That's what I'm afraid of," Hope growls under her breath, rolling her eyes.

Hope hasn't let it sink in that her dream means that Josie is probably...

No. She won't let her mind go there. 

Lizzie grabs Hope's arm when the latter tries to continue towards the old mill. 

"Hope," she says, and Hope stops walking. "I know you care about her and I know you're scared." Lizzie's looking harshly at Hope and even in the dark, Hope can read the nervous look on Lizzie's face. "But I care about her, too. We all do." She motions to the boys. 

"We'll find her, Hope," MG says, stepping up to stand next to Lizzie. 

"We're just here to help," Raf chimes in. Kaleb nods and a little bit of faith is restored back in Hope. 

"We're almost to the old mill," Hope says, and the group continues through the woods together. 

Hope leads the group to the mill, noting how different it looks from her dream. It's not decorated with lights and the mood isn't cozy and intimate. Right now it's too dark for Hope's liking and the cold cuts right through her thin sweater. 

"What are we looking for, exactly?" Kaleb asks. 

"Anything that points to where Jo could be," Hope explains, before climbing up the stairs to the loft of the old mill. 

She gets a whiff of Jo's scent. It's recognizable; soft and unique. Hope searches around until she finds what she's been smelling: the talisman from Josie's 16th birthday. 

Something in Hope cracks when she sees the silver pendant lying on the floor. The clasp is broken, meaning whatever took it off of Josie didn't do it gently. 

Hope squeezes the talisman in her hand. The magic in it is gone. Josie must have siphoned from it...

"Up here!" Hope shouts to the group. They glamour up the stairs in a hurry. 

"Jo's necklace," Lizzie says, inching towards Hope, who holds the talisman in her hand. 

"Why would she take it off-" MG starts. 

"She didn't do it on purpose," Hope says, swallowing thickly. "Something took it off of her."

"The banshee?" Lizzie clarifies. 

"The what now?" Kaleb asks. 

"I'll fill you in on the way," Hope says, and then mutters a spell into the talisman. "This will take us where we need to go."

"Makes quiet things heard," MG whispers and Hope nods. 

The group leaves without another word, going wherever the magic in the talisman tells them to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you liked this!! please let me know what you think, your comments are so encouraging:)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi!! this is the last chapter of this fic so it’s extra long. i’ve had a lot of fun writing it but i have so many ideas for another one. thank you so much for reading and your kind comments. enjoy:)

Hope leads Lizzie, MG, Kaleb, and Raf into the town square.  
"Why would it take us here?" Lizzie asks, glaring at Hope, who holds the talisman tightly in her fist. "The stupid thing is wrong. I don't see Jo." "  
It's not wrong, Lizzie," Hope growls. "We just have to..." 

"Have to what?? Wait until someone throws my sister's dead body into the town square?" 

“Lizzie shut u-" Hope begins to protest when she feels something brush past her shoulder. She turns to face the sensation, but sees no one behind her. 

“Hope?" someone asks, but Hope just shushes them. 

"She's cloaked," Hope says and then whispers. 

Lizzie glances at MG, exchanging a weirded-out look. 

"Trust me," Hope says, and mutters a spell under her breath. 

The scene that appears in front of the group makes Hope's heart drop to her stomach. 

Josie stands before them, but she looks nothing like the Josie any of them know. 

Her skin is so pale it's almost see-through, and her hair has grown past her chest, hanging down in greasy, light-brown strings. Her mouth forms into an "O", and she lets out an ear-piercing shriek, similar to the one from Hope's dream. 

Her presence causes the lights in the town square to flicker, and one by one each of the lamps explode, sending broken glass and sparks onto the group. "

How do we stop her?" Raf asks, and Hope just shakes her head. 

“Hope, catch!" Lizzie shouts, and Hope turns to see her pulling a long, sharp, golden blade from her backpack. 

"What is this?" Hope asks, catching the blade by the handle.

“It's the way to defeat a banshee," Lizzie says. "MG saw it in one of his com- nerd books." 

“I have to stab her??" Hope asks. "I can't" 

“You have to do something, Hope," Lizzie says. "Trust me." 

Hope knows that Lizzie wouldn't put her sister in danger. Something in her tells her that Lizzie is probably right, but she can't bring herself to look at Josie and stab her... 

Lizzie's gaze meets Hope's, and she gives her a reassuring nod. The pale creature in front of Hope continues to scream and inch towards her, and she knows if she doesn't do something now, she'd be putting her friends and the school in danger. 

Hope grips the knife and squeezes her eyes shut, raising the blade above her head, before an invisible force grips her torso.

She opens her eyes painfully and sees Josie's deformed figure below her and realizes she's floating, the creature below using whatever magic she has to lift her up in the air, squeezing her ribs and stomach impossible tight. She hears Lizzie screaming below her, yelling out her name and Josie's, urging the latter girl to stop. 

Hope groans as she wriggles her arm away from her side, lifting the knife above her head once again. The banshee eyes the knife, using magic to tear it out of Hope's grip, throwing it onto the ground, leaving hope's defenseless. 

Hope opens her mouth to yell for someone to grab the knife but before she can, she's hurling towards the ground, landing on the ground with a crack. "

Hope!" a voice shouts. Another voice calls out Josie's name, and Hope glances towards where the creature was standing. She looks over just in time to see MG pulling the golden blade out of Josie's chest before the world gets darker and darker and she blacks out. 

Hope's been here before. Her head pounds once again, and her eyes open to the infirmary. 

The air smells sterile and the lights are a little too bright, but she's grateful to see that when she looks to her right, Josie is laying in the next bed, covers tucked to right below her chin, her eyes closed peacefully. 

“She's awake!" Hope hears Lizzie exclaim, and she and her friends come rushing towards Hope's bed. 

“Are you okay?" Lizzie asks, and Hope nods her head painfully.

Hope is grateful for the blood that pumps through her body, making her wounds heal faster than normal. She's able to sit up and take a sip of water before clearing her throat and opening her mouth to say something. Her throat feels dry and cracked like a desert. 

“It's okay, hon," the nurse says, rushing over to her. "You'll be in pain for a while, even with your healing abilities."

Hope nods and lays her head back down before weakly lifting an arm and gesturing towards Josie's bed. 

“She's okay," Lizzie says, her eyes appearing glossy. "The knife didn't hurt her. It saved her." 

Hope learns that after the banshee got the knife away from hope, MG had to be the one to stab her. The banshee dropped Hope and broke three of her ribs. MG had to speed both girls back to the school. 

“Dr. S didn't love the plan," Kaleb chimes in. 

"But he didn't punish us too hard," Lizzie adds. "A week of picking up trash at Mystic Falls High School once you can walk again." 

Hope rolls her eyes but forces a smile. The rest of the day is spent in bed and Hope keeps sneaking glances at Josie's bed, willing her to wake up. 

In the middle of the night, as Hope struggles to fall asleep, she hears a small voice croak her name. 

"Hope?" she hears again and sees that Josie's sat up in her bed, the dim light of the moon through the window illuminating her frail figure under the covers. 

“Jo," Hope says quietly with a smile, the burning in her throat not bothering her so much. "You're okay." 

“I'm okay," Josie replies. "Thank you, Hope." 

The girls spend the night talking quietly until Josie's eyes start to flutter and she falls asleep and hope follows. 

A couple of days later, the girls are finally out of the hospital. 

Josie is escorted back to her room by Lizzie and hope makes her way to her room by herself. 

Hope's room seems cold and empty when she returns. Somethings changed, but she can't tell whether or not it was in the room, or in her.

The day seems to go by at a snail's pace. Hope spends the day in bed, getting up only to retrieve the pre-made meals that were left at her door or to take medication given to her by the nurse. 

In the evening, she's decided she's had enough, and makes her way down towards the kitchen, feeling better after a couple of days of rest. She stops by the main living room of the school when she sees a small figure sitting by the fireplace.

"Hope?" Hope is about to walk past the entrance to the room when the figure calls her name quietly, and Hope is forced to walk further into the room.Josie's sitting by the fire, cross-legged, wearing the cutest pair of matching pajamas Hope has ever seen. 

“Jo," Hope says quietly, a smile tugging at the edges of her mouth. "I'm glad you're okay." 

“You too," Josie says and Hope joins her on the floor, sitting with her knee brushing Josie's. "

Do you-" Hope begins to say. "Lizzie says I disappeared. Was I with you?" 

Josie giggles. "I hid you." Hope looks surprised. "When the demon-banshee-whatever it was came to the mill it had already taken me. I cloaked you with a spell that would last a couple of days. That's why MG couldn't find you at the mill." 

“You saved me," Hope says with a smile. 

“You'd have done the same for me," Josie says, nudging Hope in the thigh. "Well, you have. Hundreds of times." "I don't know about hundreds," Hope replies. 

“More than you know," Josie says and lets a hand rest on Hope's knee, absentmidedly fiddling with the material on Hope's sweatpants. 

“Josie?" Hope says, her voice cutting through the comfortable silence. Josie looks at Hope with her puppy-dog eyes, and Hope has to tear her eyes away from her. "I really missed you." 

“I hurt you, Hope." 

“I don't care." Hope shifts to face Josie. "When you disappeared... I didn't know what to do. I would have done anything to get you back." 

Josie stares intensely back at Hope, her eyes glistening and her skin looking golden, reflecting the flames of the fire in front of them. 

“I had a dream about you," Hope begins. "A while ago. I told you that I..." 

Josie just looks at Hope and nods reassuringly. 

"I told you that I thought I loved you. That I had for a really long time." 

Josie's eyes widen and then soften again, her hand still rested on Hope's leg. 

Hope curses herself for being so vulnerable, for letting herself get so nervous around someone she should be so comfortable with. 

“It's about time, Mikaelson," Josie teases, her hand moving further up Hope's leg. 

Without another word, Hope kisses Josie with such force that it takes Josie by surprise. Hope kisses her like she'd been waiting a decade to do it, which she had. 

Her hands travel up Josie's back, over the soft material of her pajamas, and resting on her hips while Josie's hands move up to Hope's neck and into her hair, gripping fistfuls of Hope's hair and kissing her back fervently. 

Both girls separate when they come up for air, their foreheads resting against each other. 

"I'm never letting you go," Hope whispers, her thumbs brushing against the soft skin of Josie's cheeks. 

"I'm counting on it," Josie says with a laugh. "I love you."

Hope responds by kissing Josie back even harder, and the two spend the night in each other's arms, their faces and bodies warmed by the fire that burns bright near them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you enjoyed this story! i’m so excited to start writing more so please stay tuned and lmk what you think:)

**Author's Note:**

> please cut me some slack, this is my first time:)


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